1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sensor devices, and particularly, but not exclusively, to sensors for use in clinical analysis.
2. Description of Related Art
There is an increasing demand for analytical information in sectors including health care and veterinary medicine, and in the food, pharmaceutical, bioprocessing, agrochemical and petrochemical industries. This information is at present mainly provided by sophisticated centralised analytical laboratories. Such laboratories are both capital and labour intensive, and there is evidence that they are unlikely to meet the needs of the future. For example, in human health care, speed in both the detection and monitoring of key metabolities is essential for the correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment of diseases, and this requires the provision of local, fast analysis.
The need to perform analysis in a non-laboratory environment requires new diagnostic techniques in order to provide real-time information on the levels of key substances such as gases, ions, metabolites, drug, proteins and hormones. Unequivocal diagnosis will usually depend on the simultaneous determination of several key metabolites, as would be required, for example, for the diagnosis and management of diabetes, kidney, liver and thyroid dysfunction, bone disorders and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, such determination could also prove valuable in blood and tissue typing and in screening for pregnancy complications, fertility, drug abuse, neonatal disorder, infectious diseases, rheumatic disorders and drug overdoses.
A sensor device for such purposes should preferably be small and easily portable and should not require complex prior preparation of the sample, such as blood, to be tested.